Debbie Chazen, the only Jewish Calendar Girl, talks about her new musical The Girls

First it was a play, then a film and now Calendar Girls has been made into a musical – already nominated for several Olivier Awards – with book and lyrics by Tim Firth, who wrote the play and co-wrote the film script (with Juliette Towhidi), and music by Gary Barlow.The Girls tells the true story of members of a Yorkshire branch of the Women’s Institute who had the idea of assembling a nude calendar to raise money for Leukaemia Research, when the husband of one of the girls became ill and died from the disease.

As all the girls of the title are nominated jointly for an Olivier Award, Judi Herman singled out Debbie Chazen (pictured, second from left), who has the distinction of being the only Jewish girl, as well as being the only one who appeared in the original stage play.

JUDI HERMAN

JR's Arts Editor Judi Herman presents her series of podcasts, featuring interviews with leading playwrights, actors and other creatives, as well as guided audio tours of the latest exhibitions with a Jewish cultural interest. These podcasts are available to download for free from our JR OutLoud page and the iTunes Store, so you can listen at home and on the go.